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Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (series)
| distributor = Namco Bandai | designer = | series = Dragon Ball Z | engine = | version = | released = 2005-2007 | genre = Fighting | modes = Single-player Multiplayer | ratings = ESRB=T CERO=A PEGI=12+ | platforms = Playstation 2 Wii Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 | media = DVD rom, Blu-ray disc | requirements = | input = DualShock 2 Wii Mote Xbox 360 controller DualShock 3 }} The Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series, originally published as in Japan, is a series of fighting games based on the anime and manga ''Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. Each installment was developed by Spike, while they were published by Namco Bandai in Japan and Atari in all other countries. The series ended in 2007 with the release of the third Tenkaichi game, but it's game mechanics continued in 2009's Dragon Ball: Raging Blast as well as the upcoming 2010 game, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2. Origin of name The "Sparking!" in the Japanese title references the last lyric found in the chorus of the first opening theme to the Dragon Ball Z anime series, "Cha-La Head-Cha-La," performed by Hironobu Kageyama. However, the opening theme to the game is the TV series' second opening, "WE GOTTA POWER" (featured in the Japanese version; the English version includes a different, non-vocal song), which is also performed by Kageyama. The "Budokai Tenkaichi" title of the North American version is a rearranged version of . In the series, the Tenka-ichi Budōkai is a gathering of fighters in a competition for glory, fame, and prize money. The game is not considered a part of the Budokai series of games, despite its misleading title. In addition to a completely different game engine, the game was developed by an entirely different company. The game is also titled differently from the rest of the Budokai series in Japan. Were it a true Budokai game, it would have been Dragon Ball Z 4 in Japan. Speculation on the English re-title is that Atari chose to market the game as part of the Budokai series in order to capitalize on a pre-existing market of fans already familiar with said game series. The English version also uses a great deal of sound effects and background music made for the Budokai series. Localization differences Further confusing fans in North America, Atari's domestic release of the game does not feature the same music found in the original Japanese version. While Sparking! features actual music from Dragon Ball Z (and two other pieces from the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise and Dragon Ball GT where appropriate) as composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi, the American release of the game features recycled music from the Budokai series (composed in Japan by Kenji Yamamoto. While no official explanation was ever given for the musical differences, as FUNimation Entertainment did not use the original Japanese score in Dragon Ball Z/GT for the English dub, it can be assumed that contractual issues came into play. Gameplay Goku using the Kamehameha against Hirudegarn in Budokai Tenkaichi 3.]] The games are quite different from the often-compared Budokai series ; they use a "behind-the-back" camera perspective. Also different from the Budokai series, each form is treated as its own character, with varying stats, movesets and fighting styles, similar to Dragon Ball Z: Legendary Super Warriors while the free roam element is similar to Dragon Ball Z: Sagas. In battle, players can build up their Ki gauge to execute various techniques such as the Power Guard, which reduces the damage characters take by 1/4. The Ki gauge can also be used to use moves referred to as Blast 2 skills. Every character has a unique set of Blast 2 skills that allow the character to use special moves such as Ki blasts and physical attacks. Characters also have a self-recharging numeric gauge called Blast Stock that allows players to use techniques called Blast 1 skills. Blast 1 skills usually have a supportive effect such as allowing characters to regain health or immobilize the enemy. Players can also power up into a mode called Max Power Mode normally by building up their Ki beyond full at the cost of Blast Stock bars. Max Power Mode makes the character that initiated it faster, stronger, and able to use moves that are exclusive to the mode. One of these moves is the Ultimate Blast which is usually the most powerful move a character has, though use of any Blast 2 skill or the Ultimate Blast immediately ends Max Power Mode. Game modes The story mode of the series progresses similarly to the story modes in previous games. Players can select battles from different sagas and proceed through the story of Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball GT, and even several ''Dragon Ball Z'' films. The Dragon Balls can be acquired through story mode by destroying the environment in battle; however, the player can only keep the Dragon Ball they find if the battle is won. Each installment features several "what-if" battles and scenarios; for example, the Tenkaichi 1 story mode features modes where the player takes control of a villain and uses the character to defeat the hero, while the Tenkaichi 2 story mode has modes where Raditz and Zarbon essentially team up with the Z Fighters for one reason or another. Several levels of the Tenkaichi 2 story mode also feature cutscenes shown either before or after the fight of the level takes place. The Tenkaichi 3 story mode has cutscenes integrated into the battles themselves that are activated by hitting a certain button. These can be transformations, character changes, automatic attack use, or something as simple as a conversation. Similar to the same mode in the Budokai series, the player can enter a World Tournament and try to win their way to the top. There are three levels of the basic tournament and a Cell Games mode. Since characters can fly, characters can leave the perimeter of the arena, but will be called for ring out if they touch the ground. There are no restrictions to the Cell Games mode, but the last match of the Cell Games mode is always against Perfect Cell. In Tenkaichi 1 winning the tournaments gave players a Z-Item prize while in Tenkaichi 2, players would receive money which in turn would be used on Z-Items. The World Tournament mode could be played with several entrants, but if there is more than one human player, no prize would be awarded. Other features in the game includes more combo attacks or character specific combos, the Blast Combos, and the Z Burst Dash. The additional combo attacks will be able to help chain in more attacks for more damage and longer combos. The Blast Combo is the normal combos however by inputting the another button into the attack will allow you to use a blast attack for extra damage. Depending on the moves of the character you might not be able to use this feat such as Videl or Hercule. The Z Burst Dash is much faster and more evasive version of the of the Dragon Dash. It allows the user to get behind the opponent at high speeds for either a strike or to avoid a blast 2 attack. The drawback to this technique is that it will rapidly drain you of energy. History Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, originally published as in Japan, is the first installment in the ''Budokai Tenkaichi series. The game is available only on the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan on October 6, 2005, in North America on October 18 2005 and for Europe on October 21, 2005. It is now a Greatest Hits title. The game features 60 playable characters in 90 forms and 11 stages for battle. Despite not featuring the original Japanese music, the American release of the game allows for selectable English FUNimation Productions cast and Japanese voices, while retaining the English-language written dialogue (as adapted from Steven J. Simmons' translation from the original Japanese version's script). However, there are known bugs in the American version of Budokai Tenkaichi that cause pieces of English and Japanese spoken dialogue to cross over into whichever selection the player is using at times. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, originally published as in Japan, is the second installment in the ''Budokai Tenkaichi series. The game is available on both PlayStation 2 and Wii. The PlayStation 2 and Wii versions have different dates of release. It was released on the PlayStation 2 in Japan on October 5 2006, Europe on November 3 2006, North America on November 7 2006, and Australia on November 9 2006. The Wii version had slightly later releases; it was released in North America on November 19 2006, Japan on January 11, 2007, Europe on March 30, 2007, and Australia on April 5. 2007. It is now a Greatest Hits title, like its predecessor. Though originally confirmed as being a launch title in North America for the Wii,IGN: Dragon Ball Z Ready for Wii some stores started selling the Wii version on November 15 2006. An issue of V-Jump listed January 2007 as the release date for the Japanese version of the Wii release. The game originally featured 129 characters and 16 stages, though the Japanese and PAL Wii versions came with five additional characters and an extra stage as compensation of their late releases. Some additionally great bonus material within the game was the special story modes specifically given to Zarbon and Raditz, whom were attentively treated particularly well with their own game modes, unlike any other characters. One element of Tenkaichi 2 that is absent from Tenkaichi 1 and Tenkaichi 3 is that the story mode allows the player to fly around the Earth, which was also featured in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3, originally published as in Japan, is the third installment in the ''Budokai Tenkaichi series. The game is available on both PlayStation 2 and Wii. The game was released in Japan on October 4 2007,[http://dbzs.jp/meteor/p_movie/01.html Official Japanese Budokai Tenkaichi 3 trailer] (Windows Media Player required). in North America on November 13, 2007 and in Europe on November 9, 2007 (on PlayStation 2, the Wii version's release date is December 3, 2007 in North America, October 4 2007 in Japan, and February 15 2008 in Europe).IGN: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 Tenkaichi 3 features over 162 characters, the largest character roster in any Dragon Ball Z game, as well as one of the largest in any fighting game. Ryo Mito once stated that the game would feature never-before-seen characters made exclusively for the game, although the only exclusive characters were the Saiyans turning into great apes. . Gamestop offered an exclusive version with a bonus DVD containing the top 10 television series battles as voted by fans on the release date. Several new notable features include: Battle Replay, night and day stages, the Wii's online capability, and Disc Fusion. Battle Replay allows players to capture their favorite fights and save them to an SD card to view later on. Night and day stages allow for more accurate battles in Dragon Ball History, as well as the ability to transform into a Great Ape by using the moon. There are also several other time differences, such as dawn and afternoon. Not all stages provide different times. You can also change the aura of your character. The Wii version features online multiplayer capability, the first game in the series to have such a feature. Players can fight against anyone from around the globe with a ranking system showing the player's current standing compared to anyone else who has played online. As compensation for the lack of online, Spike has added a new "Disc Fusion System" to the PlayStation 2 version. Inserting a Tenkaichi 1 or Tenkaichi 2 disc during play unlocks Ultimate Battle or Ultimate Battle Z, modes featured in the respective games needed to unlock them. The game also supports 480p for both the Wii and the PlayStation 2 versions. Other features in the game include more combo attacks or character specific combos, the Blast Combos, and the Z Burst Dash. The additional combo attacks will be able to help chain in more attacks for more damage and longer combos. The Blast Combos are normal combos used in the game, however by inputting the another button into the attack will allow you to use a blast attack for extra damage. Depending on the moves of the character you might not be able to use this feat such as Videl or Hercule. The Z Burst Dash is much faster and more evasive version of the Dragon Dash. It allows the user to get behind the opponent at high speeds for either a strike or to avoid a blast 2 attack. The drawback to this technique is that it will rapidly drain you of energy. Playable Charcters * 1. Characters that were only in the European and Japanese Wii versions of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 were added to the American version in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. |} Reception Critical reaction for the Budokai Tenkaichi series has been mixed. Numerous reviews praised the game's high fighter count and detailed cel-shaded graphics, as well as the high amount of fan service to Dragon Ball Z fans. Some people, however, have taken issue with the game's complex controls. Mark Bozon at IGN said, "The sheer speed and complexity of the controls may turn some people off, but the general combat will eventually come down to two buttons, making the game amazingly easy to learn, but nearly impossible to fully master." The PS2 version of Tenkaichi 2 received the 'Best Fighting Game of the Year' award from X-Play and the Wii version of the game also received a four out of five from X-Play. The game magazine Famitsu gave the PS2 version of Tenkaichi 3 a 32 out of 40, while the Wii version received a 33 out of 40. IGN awarded both versions of Tenkaichi 3 an 8 out of 10, with their only complaints being the comparatively underwhelming story mode (in comparison to Tenkaichi 2), gimmicky Disc Fusion and the lagging Wi-Fi.The Magic Box: International Videogame News References External links * [http://dbzs.jp Official Budokai Tenkaichi series website] (Japanese) * Review Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (Spanish) * Review Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Spanish) * Review Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Spanish) Budokai Tenkaichi